


Tis' but the truth in masquerade

by Two_Divided_by_Zero



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Fluffy Ending, M/M, Slight Violence, Spoilers for Mementos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-24 21:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12021588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Two_Divided_by_Zero/pseuds/Two_Divided_by_Zero
Summary: Mistake number one was seeking Yuuki's shadow out.Mistake number two was repeating mistake number one over and over and over...





	Tis' but the truth in masquerade

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MakioKuta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakioKuta/gifts).



> This is a belated birthday gift for Makiokuta! I'm sorry it is late!

It all started as a passing thought. ‘I wonder if Yuuki has a shadow?’

The first time Morgana dragged them into Mementos to find a shadow, Akira was blindsided by the realization that _Yuuki was a perfect candidate_. 

Repressed desires? Troubling thoughts? Lingering resentment?

What started as an idle thought slowly gained traction as the bags under his classmates eyes got deeper and darker. When Yuuki began brushing off his concern - “I'm just doing my best to support Shibuya’s unsung heroes!” - it didn't take long for Akira to began giving cursory glances around the tunnels for a familiar face.

While the rest of his merry band was still in awe over their relatively new phantom thief outfits - “Well, _I_ happen to find your outfit tasteful, Lady Ann!” “ _For real_?! She looks like some dominatrix wannabe!” - Akira was looking over his shoulder for a familiar face with unfamiliar eyes.

Around corners, behind pillars… the leader of the phantom thieves pretended that he was simply being vigilant when asked. “Mona is too tired to heal us if we got caught in an ambush right now.” “The shadows here know ice skills; I don’t want to risk anything happening to Panther before we reach a rest area.”

It was sheer dumb luck that he happened to look up from the rails, distracted by a startled yelp and subsequent _smack_ from Ann at another off-color joke from Ryuji, that he saw it.

There, in the rear view mirror, were a pair of glinting eyes. 

_Staring. Watching_.

 **He knew it**.

From then on, Akira was even more vigilant, if that were even possible. One time, he even caught himself holding his breath in hopes of hearing footfalls behind them. It wouldn’t be long before his teammates noticed if he kept up like this...

(One night, when the mugginess in the air caused his blanket to cling to his skin, Akira laid awake and pondered just why he was so fixated on this. It was unnatural, this obsession with finding his classmate’s shadow. What was his motivation; what did he hope to gain? He eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep, devoid of reasons.)

To say it was anticlimactic when he did encounter Yuuki’s shadow would be a dire understatement. There was no shout of indignation upon seeing the leader of the phantom thieves, no attempt at escape; Akira darted around a corner and came face-to-face with a dour looking Yuuki.

(How stale, how bland… after weeks of searching, a sick part of him had been hoping for something a little more impressive. Arsene cooed from the inner annals of his soul, craving insurgence and excitement.)

Shamefully unbefitting a phantom thief, Akira wobbled ever-so-slightly on his feet in surprise; the shadow reacted with a fleer.

(Had he been waiting all this time to confront Akira’s alone?)

“You’re already here to steal my heart? I should have known…”

Akira cocked his head to the side in confusion before sheathing his daggers. “‘Should have known’?”

Compared to the other residents of Shibuya he had mad, this other Yuuki seemed more forlorn and resigned. Even its glare, yellow and unfamiliar, was filled with a sense of despondency. 

The shadow scrunched its nose in displeasure. “The Phantom Thieves of Heart and champions of justice; they saved me from coach Kamoshida. He beat us, _abused us_...he deserved to be punished. It would figure that deep down, I’m just as awful as him.”

Well aware that, while it looked like his classmate this _was_ a shadow, Akira tried to placate its rage. “No you-”

“ _I am!_ ” Stomp. “You just don’t see it yet!”

It seemed to deflate a bit, shoulders slackening. “Everyone does eventually. Or, doesn't...I guess…”

The shadow rounded on him at that, derision in its jaundiced eyes.

“I _hated_ you,” it hissed with vitriol, “because you didn’t want attention, yet the whole school couldn’t _take their eyes off of you_!”

It felt like an invasion of privacy, hearing this shadow blurt out someone's true feelings without consent. It was terrifying knowing that somewhere in ether, there were more shadows waiting to reveal the ugliness in people's’ hearts. 

Before he could offer any other words to mollify its anger, the shadow snarled.

“If I never see you again, it’ll be too soon.”

Something heavy settled upon him then, like a promise and a threat of retribution for Yuuki's suffering.

Akira could not agree more with the Sharon’s sentiment; the dust barely stirred beneath his heels from how quickly he fled the scene.

\---

Never ended up being two days later.

(Akira always had been a little too fond of staring daring in the face for his own good; it's part of the reason he has a criminal record now.)

It happened again a day after that. Then two more days. Then three days.

Before they knew it, the two had a fine little routine of “never” seeing each other again.

\---

“I don't understand why you won't just talk to me. We're in the same class.”

(It was still jarring to hear the shadow refer to the _actual_ Yuuki as ‘me'. Akira did not ever think he'd get used to it.)

“I would talk to him. I've been coming here to talk to you, haven't I?”

Thin lips were pulled back into an ugly sneer. “Oh, I’m _sure_ you’d talk, but would you listen?”

Feeling a little foolhardy - sticking his head in the proverbial lion's mouth - Akira crossed his arms in contemplation. “For a shadow, you're surprisingly tame.”

The shadow scoffed. “For a phantom thief who steals hearts, you're surprisingly uncouth.”

Touché. 

He held up his hands, waving two red flags of surrender. It _was_ odd that the shadow never outright attacked him, but it stood to reason-

“‘A shadow is a reflection of the inner self,’” the shadow crowed theatrically, “or so it's been said. 

It began to pace, never breaking eye contact. Every footfall echoed through the subway tunnels, occasionally joined by the cry of a lesser shadow.

“Even with all this _shit_ cluttering his head,” it continued, “with all this rage and obsession, I never once wanted to lash out against the source of it all.”

It turned on him then with inquisitive eyes. “What do _you_ think it all means, Mr. Phantom Thief? Hmm?”

Top of the class was not a measure of his people skills; no wonder Sojiro was always telling him to get off his phone and _talk to people_.

Shameful as it was, Akira had no answer for the shadow.

(Oddly enough, it seemed more displeased than usual when he left, citing “homework” as the reason.)

As he walked away, he was certain he heard a sarcastic, “see you later, Prince Charmless!”

\---

A late summer day found Akira pressed uncomfortably into the grimy walls of Mementos. Yuuki's shadow stood before him, one hand pinning his shoulder, while darkness as thick as mud seemed to swallow up everything else in sight.

Or lack thereof.

It started as it usually did; school let out at its regular time. Ann and Ryuji immediately flocked to his desk, no doubt plotting their latest heist, when he apologized and lied about having work that day.

(It was disturbing how good he's gotten at lying. No stuttering or stiffness and always with a smile…)

He got on the train, flipping through a magazine and subtly patting his blazer pocket to ensure his newest gun was there. Soon, he was off the train and pulling out his phone, casual as can be.

One floor, two floors… there was little challenge in descending the tunnels anymore. Even his team had noticed how immense his strength had become just traversing Mementos for these meetings.

He'd barely set foot outside the safe room when the world spun and he heard a soft crack.

Impossible stars danced at the corners of his vision as the shadow appeared.

‘Not exactly according to plan…’

After a few minutes of blinking his eyes uselessly, Akira became aware of the fact that the shadow was practically _cuddling him_. After a few moments of surprise, the shadow spoke.

“You know, I’m sure I’d love to see you like this,” he simpered while trailing a fingers lazily on Akira’s waistcoat. _Up and down, up and down_. “It’s a shame that isn’t possible.”

Still a bit off kilter from this attitude shift, Akira shifted uncomfortably. To his dismay, Yuuki’s finger never lost contact with his chest. “I’m right in front of you; how can you not see me?”

The shadow froze for half a moment before tittering softly. “Not me, _me_ me.”

“...”

Yellow eyes rolled in exasperation at Akira’s perceived incompetence. _C’mon, you’re the top of our class; you should know this_. “The me that isn’t trapped down here; the _real_ me. The one that sits toward the front of your class? Who waits outside the gate for you to grab coffee after school? Who wags his tail like an obedient puppy dog at your call?”

During all this, the shadow had been slowly skulking forward. A fly caught in the spider’s web, Akira was trapped in his domain and the shadow knew it. Feet frozen, he stood mesmerized by the unfamiliar emotion on Yuuki’s face. 

Fully aware of his distress, the shadow paused once they were close enough to touch. He gave his prey a quick once over, clearly savouring this moment, before yanking Akira down by his lapel and mashing their mouths together. 

That...was unexpected.

His nose gave a wet _crunch_ from impacting with the shadow’s own. Pain suffused his entire face, a thick blanket of agony; his subsequent groan allowed the shadow’s tongue access to his mouth.

It was more of a show of force than a kiss; the pressure of Yuuki’s lips on his was bruising and their teeth clacked when the shadow yanked at the scruff of his neck to bring them closer. Copper flavor filled his throat - oh, he should probably see Takemi later about his nose - which did nothing to deter his assailant.

Blood dribbled lazily down his face as Akira began to kiss back.

While not _precisely_ what he may have had in mind, a part of him knew that **all of this** had likely been a long time coming. Sneaking into Mementos alone _like an idiot_ day after day _after day_... 

(He remembered that warm summer night, they way his skin felt too tight and the air too warm. He remembered going to bed without an answer.)

Knowing how easy it would be for the shadow to snap his neck and leave him broken and bleeding - they _were_ in Mementos - 

When the shadow eventually pulled back with a miniscule frown, Akira unconsciously leaned forward to follow. Even cloaked in the dull ambient light of the annals Mementos - even with Akira's blood just staining his collar - Yuuki looked undeniably attractive.

“You'll just pretend this never happened, won't you?”

It took a moment to clear the fuzz filling his head enough for Akira to form a coherent answer. “No, that's not…”

Yuuki(‘s shadow) looked on with a curious mix of contempt and defeat. “You're just saying that. I am a shadow, you know-” and oh, Akira knew “-and passive though I've been, it would take little effort leave you broken down here. You've wandered rather far into my domain, after all.”

Solemnly, Akira held his hand out in offering. “I swear to you that I mean every word.”

Yuuki stared at his preferred his in obvious distrust.

“I don't know why I would trust anything you say anymore. You promised to be my friend, that you forgave me-”

“And I do-!”

“-but you stopped talking to me and texting me back. It's been over a month since you last wrote me, did you know? I don't get…”

“Don't you dare lie to me again. If you do, the next time you come down here, _your promise won't be the only thing broken_.”

Yuuki(‘s shadow) clearly had no intention of breaking **that** promise. Even still, his expression betrayed a melancholic longing while finally shaking Akira's hand that any phantom thief worth their salt could not ignore.

He never wanted to see that look on Yuuki’s face ever again. Either of them.

\---

It didn't take him long to make his move. The very next day, before his classmate could flee the room, Akira practically _ran_ to his desk.

(Not exactly the suavest approach, but the heart wants what it wants.)

Yuuki startled briefly before meekly meeting his eyes. “O-oh, hi.”

No “did you want to go grab some coffee” or “wanna go hit the arcade?” followed; just a generic greeting followed by silence. Where did all his enthusiasm go? Where was the boy who would merrily latch to his side and prattle on for hours about his admiration for the Phantom Thieves?

No wonder his shadow was so wary of him going back on his promise. Akira had been a rather shitty friend, hadn't he?

Rather than wrap this boy up in a hug tight enough to wring out the doubts apparent in his eyes, Akira smiled kindly. He hoped dearly that it conveyed his genuine feelings.

“Have you been getting enough sleep lately?”

“A-ah,” Yuuki flustered, obviously caught off guard, “I've been trying to brush up on my English for cram school and the Phansite needed a more streamlined forum layout…”

Akira tried to hold back an affectionate chuckle; it took having his skull slammed into a wall by a shadow to finally realize how self-sacrificing and _endearing_ Yuuki truly was. His shadow was right to doubt; Akira had remained ignorant for far too long.

(Noiselessly, Aresené agreed from somewhere within the sea of his soul.)

Slowly, softly, he placed a hand on a hunched shoulder. When his classmate didn't immediately flinch away, Akira took it as a positive side.

(It shouldn't have been so surprising. The shadow was rather clear in _where_ , exactly, Yuuki's interests lie.)

“Boss recently received a new batch of coffee from some small farm in Costa Rica. It's supposed to be pretty strong…”

Yuuki continued to stare mutely, but a hopeful pink tinge betrayed what was going on inside his head. He opened his mouth uselessly, only for the flush to deepen with humiliation. Rather than let the poor boy suffer thinking this was just another friendly coffee date rather than an _actual_ date (and wow a date with Yuuki and possibly _dating_ Yuuki actually made his head spin), Akira gave his shoulder a squeeze.

“Le Blanc is closed right now, so it would just be the two of us. I'm not as good as Sojiro at coffee making yet…” he ducked his head to hide the way his cheeks reddened slightly.

Apparently getting the implications loud and clear, Yuuki's eyes got comically wide as the previous pink turned a deep red. The longer he remained silent, the farther the blush spread. Akira was just about to peel back his turtleneck to see if it crept down that far when the boy nodded jerkily. 

Surprisingly, Yuuki was the first to reach out and join their hands together (even if he couldn't make direct eye contact for the first hour or so of their date without flustering).

Unsurprisingly, he was also the first to lean in for a kiss at the end of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Did anyone notice that as Akira spends more time with Yuuki's shadow, the more he begins to mentally accept that they are the same person? I tried to convey that without beating it to death.
> 
> Also, I made his shadow a little more...bitter than aggressive because Yuuki isn't really far enough along in his obsession for it to be aggressive. I'd imagine the future encounter in their social link to be rather interesting after this!
> 
> I hope my characterization wasn't too wonky... I'm a little worried, but then again, I ALWAYS WORRY.


End file.
